Guy Ryder,General
Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
(ICFTU)

at theWorld Summit on
Sustainable Development

Johannesburg, South
Africa 4
September 2002

I speak on behalf of the International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions - representing 158 million trade unionists around the world.
There have been some 400 representatives of the ICFTU, its affiliates,
and our global union partners here in Johannesburg.

Workers, Ladies and gentlemen, are the most numerous stakeholders
in the success of this World Summit and are committed to that success.
And as they have called upon the world's political leaders to meet their
historic responsibilities at this Summit, trade unionist have demonstrated
also their willingness to pick up their burden of shared responsibility
- as partners in sustainable development.

We have urged upon this Summit the compelling need to build a social
pillar equal to, and as strong as, the economic and environmental pillars
of development. Without that social pillar the edifice of sustainable
development cannot itself endure.

And work, workplaces, and working people are the essence of the social
pillar. It is through opportunities for decent work that millions of
those today trapped in poverty can have access to sustainable livelihoods.

It is by making workplaces safe and healthy that people can meet their
needs in acceptable conditions.

And it is through the respect of the fundamental rights of workers
and only thus - that they can be engaged as architects of sustainable
production processes. This Summit needs to make a firm commitment to
those rights. They are essential to the very concept of rights-based,
people-centered development.

And so we welcome the recognition we have found in Johannesburg of
trade unions as stakeholders and as partners in sustainable development.
These are roles we will be taking up vigorously after Johannesburg as
we bargain with employers, as we ally with others in civil society and
as we make our voices heard in international organisations.

But, like others, we are conscious of missed opportunities and failures
of political will.

The opportunity was before us in Johannesburg to redirect the path
of today's unsustainable globalisation, to steer it clear of the spectre
of entrenched global apartheid and towards social justice, equity and
a better future for coming generations.

And yet - despite the reality of our common future. Despite the acknowledgement
of common if differentiated responsibilities, the perspective of short
term, narrow gain still weighs heavily.

It is as if individual governments, each placed precariously on the
rockface of economic development are struggling to gain for themselves
a higher foothold of advantage, believing that if they don't, others
will, blithely unaware that the rockface itself is crumbling and that
all will be thrown to the bottom if they don't start working together
- NOW.

Mr Chairperson,

The agenda for action coming from this Summit needs to be an agenda
for fundamental change. Change in development priorities, change in
governance, change in policy making, change in attitudes and in behaviour.
Such change is not welcome to all. It can seem unrealistic, disruptive,
and threatening to entrenched interests. Bur for countless millions,
the poorest and the most vulnerable to whom this Summit owes most, only
fundamental change can bring any hope.

Trade unions have experience of change. And that experience shows
that success comes through partnership, participation and negotiation.

Trade unions understand that moves to sustainable production will
have impacts on employment. These need to be dealt with through "just
transition" processes formulated and implemented with the full
participation of unions.

The ICFTU insists on the primary responsibility of state and inter-governmental
action for sustainable development. It needs more coherence. Building
and integrating the social pillar requires, it particular, the central
involvement of the ILO, and its World Commission on the Social Dimension
of Globalisation provides opportunities for this.

Private sectors partnerships and initiatives provide no substitute
and cannot be an excuse for government inertia or inaction. Indeed,
governments have to be active in applying and building upon existing
international instruments addressing the behaviour of multinational
enterprises.

But TYPE 2 agreements clearly can be an important compliment. The
international trade union movement has been forging partnerships with
employers and employers' organisations which are genuinely committed
to working with them. In some cases these have resulted in global framework
agreements. And for us, decisive test of the legitimacy of TYPE 2 agreements
will be the readiness of enterprises to engage in this fashion with
their foremost stakeholders - their workforce through their trade unions.

Mr Chairperson,

This Summit can look to the international trade union movement as
committed partners in sustainable development. We go forward from this
Summit looking for leadership, vision, solidarity and persistence. Don't
disappoint us, and we will surely not disappoint you.